Before the seasonal holidays began in Sweden, an historic strike against the deportation of refugees was organised. On 12 December, at 12noon, school students across the country - from Boden in the north to Ystad in the south - took part.

In December 2016 it was reported that India had surpassed Britain to become the sixth largest economy in the world. However, India is one of the most unequal countries with the richest 1% holding 58% of overall wealth. For the poorest and those suffering oppression, life in India is brutal.

"I was encouraged to work - for £1 an hour" Tamil Solidarity activist Nandan, who recently spent several weeks in a Home Office detention centre, spoke to the Socialist about his experience of organising against the exploitation of inmates and the campaign to fight for refugee rights.

Over a hundred campaigners and trade union activists paid a defiant visit to the headquarters of Samworth Brothers, a bullying penny-pinching company that has sacked BFAWU bakers' union rep Kumaran Bose.

The BFAWU bakers' union conference 12-16 June in Southport felt like a real council of war. This is a union with 20,000 members - that is numerically smaller than others - but huge ambition to defend them at a time when it is under siege from the food employers who want to protect their profits.